Write Me Back

Write Me Back is the eleventh studio album by American R&B recording artist R. Kelly, released on June 25, 2012, by RCA Records. It was written and produced primarily by Kelly as the follow-up to his 2010 album Love Letter. He recorded Write Me Back at Sylvester Stone Studios and The Chocolate Factory in Chicago, and at MilkBoy The Studio in Philadelphia. It expands on its predecessor's traditional R&B aesthetic and incorporates musical influences such as Philadelphia soul and elements of Chicago stepping. Thematically, the album generally deals with love, its redemptive power, and its complications.
The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, selling 68,000 copies in its first week, and ultimately spent 17 weeks on the chart. It was promoted with three singles—"Share My Love", "Feelin' Single" and "When a Man Lies". Upon its release, Write Me Back received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented its music and Kelly's singing. As of August 15, 2012, it has sold 141,300 copies in the United States.
At the end of his supporting tour for Love Letter, Kelly underwent emergency throat surgery in July 2011 to drain an abscess on one of his tonsils. He recovered, and in August, announced that his next album will be called Black Panties, a sexually charged album in the same vein of his 1993 debut album, 12 Play. However, he deviated from that plan in January 2012 by announcing Write Me Back as his next album. He recorded the album at Sylvester Stone Studios and The Chocolate Factory in Chicago, and at MilkBoy The Studio in Philadelphia.